Rise Of Phoenix: 2012 Edition
by Twilight Archangel
Summary: Dissociative Personality Disorder: Two personalities, one body. This time, the heroes and heroines will have to fight their friend and brother. Takeru has been taken over by the Darkness within, his evil side called Phoenix, who is vent to taking control of both worlds. Corruption and death follow. Hope has been replaced by Despair. The beginning of the greatest battle has started.
1. Prologue

So it's back! After seven years, I've decided to rewrite both my "almost-award winning" digimon crossover fanfic! Hope you guys enjoy this remake version, I'll try to update as often as we can, but you know...college. Hope old readers and new readers enjoy this! This is the prologue, not much but I hope you enjoy it anyway. This time, it will be up for good!

* * *

_**Rise Of Phoenix**_

**I.- Prologue**

The nebula was deep.

Inside the Dark Castle resided a presence so powerful that it sucked all the Light. It was an overwhelming sensation of despair the one that surrounded everybody who would come in touch with the dark creature that sat in his throne with a sick smile on his face. It was the very Ruler of Darkness the one that was using his dark powers to suck the life on the Dark World.

"You're smiling, My Lord." said his faithful servant, Lilithmon, as she walked towards her creator and master.

"**My father is dead." **said the Ruler of Darkness as he smiled, feeling the emotions start to rush on his spine. **"After what was felt like centuries…Apocalymon is finally destroyed. I've been waiting such a long time for this to happen. Now I can fulfill my Destiny…now I can finally conquer the Multi-Universe."**

Lilithmon looked unsure. "My Lord, those kids, the DigiDestined, are really powerful…how can we destroy them?"

GranDracmon, the Ruler of Darkness, grinned sickly. **"I wouldn't worry about them…they're human…they're partner-less…and they have a great weakness we can exploit. Beside's there are still other worlds we can destroy and conquer. No Sovereign or Angel can defeat me now that my progenitor is reduced to nothing."**

The Demon of Lust wasn't sure. "What about…Lucemon?"

"**Your brother will pay for his betrayal."** said GranDracmon as he stood up from his throne and looked to the dark horizon beyond the window. **"It's just a matter of time. The clock is ticking. The Demon Lords will rise again, the Four Horsemen will rise again…and the worlds will know what true apocalypse is."**

* * *

_Odaiba, 1999_

They were going home.

Finally, after so much time of trying to set things right, they were on their way home. Each one of the DigiDestined was having a mixture of feelings as they all joined their overjoyed parents. The children were glad to be alive, glad to have finally defeated their greatest enemy, Apocalymon…but the price they had to pay was too high. They had made friends, and now those friends were gone.

The Child Of Hope, Takeru Takaishi, was specially saddened by the loss of Patamon, his partner. He glanced at the night sky, wondering if his friend was thinking of him in the Digital World. He hoped his partner was, because the little kid would never forget his little orange friend.

"You're thinking of him, right?" asked Kari, the Child of Light, as she stared at her blond friend with a nostalgic look. Both little kids have walked away for a little breath, while their brothers and friends were telling their adventures to their parents. They knew they just had a few minutes before they would be smothered again by their overprotective parents and the reporters that were anxious to know their stories.

Takeru, known most commonly as T.K, nodded, wiping a tear from his eye. "I just miss him, and we haven't been separated for even half an hour!"

"I miss Gatomon as well." said Kari, but smiled a little bit as she looked at her best friend. "But remember, you're the Child of Hope, if someone has to believe we'll meet again, that's you!"

The blond kid nodded, with a faint smile as he realized it was true. It was in his Crest, it was in his nature. "Yeah, I guess you're right!"

They heard footsteps and turned back, just to see Taichi and Yamato, the so called Children of Courage and Friendship respectively. They had goofy grins on their faces, despite that it was clear that they missed their partners as well. But they knew they had to keep their smiles on their faces for the sake of their younger siblings. Besides, they were hopeful as well, to see their partner again.

"Come on guys, we must go…it won't take long before the reporters come and try to squeeze the whole story from us!" exclaimed Tai as he grabbed Kari's hands, looking at her little sister with a smile on his face.

Matt agreed. "Yeah, time to go home…we need to rest, we've had a rough…day."

Takeru looked down, knowing he would be separated from his brother soon. Their parents were divorced; it won't take long before he's split from his older brother again.

The older blond boy could see his little brother's sad look and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry, squirt…I'll see I stay with you tonight. Ok?"

"Ok." Said Takeru with a slight grin as Matt picked him up into his arms. It was strange for Matt to show so much affection, but he had changed because of their adventure, and the little kid was glad to be on the arms of his beloved older brother.

He dug his head into his brother's chest.

However, he was still sad, he still missed Patamon. _Patamon…I wish you were here._

"_Don't worry, you'll see him again, I think so." _said a childish voice inside his mind.

Takeru smiled, it was his' imaginary friend's voice.

Unknown to anybody, Takeru had an imaginary friend he liked to call Phoenix. He had been inside his mind for as long as he could remember, always helping him, always accompanying him, always supporting him. He liked him, and it was his little secret. He knew it was weird to have imaginary friends, but he still liked to believe he was never alone. _Yeah Phoenix, you're right!_

He could feel his imaginary friend smile and that made him smile.


	2. Premonitions

**Hi guys! Here is the second chapter, hope you enjoy it. I wanted to make it longer but the next one will be of a more descent length. I have a school project due this Friday and I have to work on it. But don't worry, i hope I can update by the end of the week, if not, next monday for sure! As I said, next chapter will be longer. Also, by request, I'll try to use the Japanese names more often, hope the rest of you don't mind!  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**II.- Premonitions**

_Takeru was in a barren city. _

_The skies were darkened, covered with black clouds that were clearly of not natural origin. They were clouds of Darkness. The city was deserted, and it was completely destroyed. There were buildings completely torn apart, fallen, crumbled into pieces of nothing. The dust was rising from the mounts of ashes that lay in his path._

_He walked around, confused. _

_The blond boy wanted desperately to find his friends and his mother. He was feeling completely desolate in that apocalyptic scenario. _This is not right; I should be…anywhere but here. Where am I? Is this Odaiba?

_After walking some feet, he did realize he was in his hometown, but it was completely shattered. The clouds of evil have taken their toll on it; there was no life at all. Everything he knew had crumbled down into nothingness. For a moment he felt a need to cry, he wanted so badly to find someone._

"_Patamon! Matt! Kari! Davis! Tai! Anybody?!" he shouted to the four winds, but it was useless. He was completely alone. And he was surely sacred. Not only because he was in an apocalyptic wasteland, but because he was in a place where the unexpected could happen and he was completely defenseless without his partner._

Ok, this is officially creepy.

_Suddenly, from the depths of a nearby building appeared a creature that looked humanoid. He had humanoid torso and up, but his bottom was one of a beast. He had what looked like a mask over his face, with no eyes at sight._

_But even with no eyes, Takeru knew he was being watched by the monster, who was clearly a digimon._

"**Welcome…Death. I've been waiting for you." **_said the fiendish monster as he approached the blonde boy with a wicked smirk. _

_Takeru gulped fearfully, looking at the monster with an uneasy look. He was scared, because the words spoken to him were full of sadistic and cruel intentions. He knew it. He had a sixth sense to that kind of thing, he wondered what the monster was talking about. _Why did he call me Death?

"_I'm not…I'm not Death. My name is…" began Takeru, but didn't continue because the monster raised his hand as if to stop him from talking. _

"**No need to hide yourself from me, Death." **_said the monster as he looked at the blonde boy with that disturbing smile on his face. _**"Tell me, Death…who are you going to kill today? You have killed everyone you love already."**

No, they can't be dead…

_Takeru felt a shiver ran down his spine as the truth was spoken to him. He couldn't help but feel the tears start to well up on his eyes, the words were harsh, but somehow he knew they were true. His minds told him it was a lie, but his heart told him it was true. He was conflicted; he wanted the pain to stop. _Those are lies! My loved ones can't be dead! I can't have…killed them…

"_You lie." said Takeru, hoping it was just one twisted game the monster was playing. "I'm not a killer! I couldn't have killed them!"_

"**Yes, Death…you killed them, you killed them all. Each one of them! Or do you want me to remind you the screams of your brother? The agony of your friends? The deletion of your partner? It was all your doing. And now, it's time you die as well." **_said the monster and approached him with malice on his sick, twisted smile._

Where am I? Who is he? Someone, help me!

_Suddenly he was grabbed by the neck by the mysterious digimon, and he was choked. He couldn't breathe; he was being strangled by the monster. He wanted to scream but his throat was being pushed to its core with force. He knew he was going to die. There was no hope of surviving this. _But I'm the Child of Hope. I'm supposed to hope…well. I hope I die…

_As he fell into despair, he looked at his reflection on a puddle of water next to him and noticed his red eyes and white hair._

_With that final sight, he was choked to death._

* * *

Takeru awoke.

The first sensation that came to his mind was the feeling of hands choking him. He quickly placed his left hand over his neck, as if trying to stop and invisible hand from crushing his throat. He felt nothing, he was alive…and his throat was doing fine. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

The nightmare was becoming more and more real as time passed by. It had been the same since the destruction of MaloMyotismon. Nightmares of a barren world, and digimon of evil proportions, and the same distorted reflection on the puddle. And the words that came from the mouth of the monster were suffocating. _I can't have killed them…_

"T.K., are you aright?" asked his partner, Patamon, as the orange little rookie digimon looked at his best friend with an uneasy look on his face.

Takeru tried to smile falsely as he sat up in the bed. "Sure, Patamon…why wouldn't I be?"

"You wet the bed." said the little rookie digimon as a matter of fact, then stared at his partner. "You were breathing heavily in your sleep, you were sweating. And this is not the first time this occurs."

The blond boy looked down, and curled. He hugged his knees. "It's the nightmares, Patamon…they're getting stronger. I have a feeling something bad is going to happen. And we won't be strong enough to face what's coming."

Patamon sighed, but then looked at his parent with that the little digimon hoped was a comforting smile. "Why don't you go take a nice bath? Maybe that will clear your head and you will be ready to go."

Takeru nodded, realizing he was a mess.

The boy stood up from his bed and walked towards the bathroom, looking around. He needed to clean himself, he had to go to school in two hours and he didn't want to show up stinking like pee. He was embarrassed that he had wet the bed, but he knew it would be his and Patamon's little secret.

He stepped into the bathroom and stared at his reflection. He had bags under his eyes and his hair was all tangled. His pajamas were wet with sweat and urine, and it made him feel little. Like a child that couldn't recover himself from a nightmare. _I am little, compared to the Universe…_

Without thinking much of it, he removed his pajama top and bottom, and stripped from his underwear and socks and stepped into the shower. He turned it on and let the water fall to his head like a rain, cold then warm. He needed to relax if he wanted to have a fresh start in school. It was going to be his first year in high school, after all.

* * *

Takeru walked to school with a tired look.

Patamon flying by his side, happy that he didn't need to hide anymore. Sightings of digimon had become more and more common and accepted by the people in Odaiba. However, by the moment the little digimon wasn't worried about acceptance or hiding, he was worried about his partner.

The blond boy carried on, without looking to his surroundings. It was stressful enough to be smothered by nightmares, let alone worrying about going to school. All he wanted to do was sleep, but at the same time, he didn't want to. The nightmares would come back to him and he would be once again the slave of his mental aching.

"_T.K…this is not good, you're too affected by these dreams. They'll kill you." _said the voice of Phoenix as he walked by, and the blonde boy couldn't help but wince.

When he was younger, he would spend hours talking to his imaginary friend. They were close, they would talk about anything and he would let him take over his body from time to time so his counterpart could enjoy the little things life gave away. When he was younger, he would cherish the company of his imaginary partner, but now that he grew up, he realized something.

It was not healthy to hear voices in your head, or to exchange conversations with non-existing beings.

He had grown afraid of Phoenix, because his existence meant there was something wrong with his mind. He had thought about seeing a therapist, but he was scared of the reaction of his mental counterpart. Phoenix wasn't nice, and he knew that. He had realized Phoenix was the fusion of all his dark thoughts. He had taken a while to realized that, but now that he had, he didn't know if his counterpart was his friend or not. He had to be careful of what he thought of, because he couldn't let his worry and real perception go noticed by Phoenix. It could be the end of him.

For now on, he had to be careful of what crossed his mind. He tried to sound cheerful in his mind while he talked to his imaginary counterpart. _"Don't worry, I'll be alright."_

There was no reply.

Takeru shivered, he knew that silence. It was the silence that was normally followed by a mental outburst from Phoenix that would end with a headache. He just hoped his counterpart was in good mood and wouldn't torture him further. The day had started shaky enough to want to have a fight with an inexistent being that resided only within the walks of his mind.

"Hey, T.K.!" exclaimed a cheerful voice from behind him.

Takeru sighed deeply, knowing it was time to put up the mask. To act as if nothing was wrong, to pretend everything was ok. "Hey Davis!"

Daisuke, known as Davis, one of his best friends, arrived and put an arm around him in a half hug. "Are you ready to start a brand new cool stage of our lives? High school, dude!"

"Sure…" said Takeru with a false smile. "I can't wait to start. It will be fun, I guess. Maybe we can join the basketball team or something."

"Basketball? I'm going for soccer!" said Davis with a smile. "You know I suck with my hands. But I'm a god with my feet!"

Veemon jumped from the backpack and have a victory sign. "Yeah, soccer for the win!"

Patamon smiled as he started laughing, then the little orange digimon glanced at his partner with a smile. "Come on, T.K., cheer up! This is your day!"

Takeru sighed, and smiled brightly. Even if he felt like dying in the inside. He wanted desperately to feel like he should be celebrating. But he needed to talk to somebody about the nightmares. He wanted badly to feel like they were nothing, and he wanted his head examined. He couldn't let himself be drowned and smothered by evil thoughts of despair.

But he was thinking on despair, just despair.


	3. The Beginning Of The Corruption

**I finally finished my school project! I thought I would finish this in the weekend, guess I was wrong. Hope you guys enjoy!  
**

* * *

**III.- The Beginning Of The Corruption**

Takeru and Davis had made their way towards the school, with their digimon close behind. The brunette boy, leader of the DigiDestined, had a radiant smile on his face as he entered the high school building. The gogglehead was clearly excited about starting that new stage in his life. The life of a high school teenager was the life every boy and girl dreaded from the moment they hit puberty. And now it was a chance of the younger DigiDestined to enjoy all the privileges that came with that part of growing up.

"Imagine all the cute cheerleaders that will be drooling after our athletic bodies!" exclaimed the boy with a smile as he looked at his blond friend. "And all the awesome parties that await us!"

Veemon sweat dropped. "Aren't you supposed to study?"

Davis frowned, thinking about the amount of homework and projects they will be assigned. For a moment all the joy came to a stop. He looked at his blue partner with a glare. "Thanks for ruining the moment, Veemon!"

Takeru couldn't help but laugh a little at the commentary, and looked softly at his brunette friend. "Don't worry Davis; I'll make sure you get straight A's. After all, we've always been together in team projects…and I always help you study for exams. Now that I think of it, I should start charging you per hour!"

"You do that." said Davis with a smile, and patted his blond friend in the back with affection. "What would I do without you?"

The truth was, Davis had matured a lot since their final battle with MaloMyotismon, and had decided to put his fights with Takeru aside, he had decided to become a better friend to his blond buddy. And it had resulted in a mutual evolution. Both of them were closer now, always teaming up in school projects and such. There had been several trials they had to overcome during their friendship, and now they had reached that stage of being completely reliable and trustworthy to each other.

They loved each other as they were, they could see it now.

"_I should tell you, you are weak on putting your trust on such pathetic creatures like Daisuke…they don't deserve having someone as great as us!" _said the voice of Phoenix inside Takeru's mind, and the boy couldn't help but clench his teeth at the sudden intromission on his mind.

The blonde boy closed his eyes and his fists, trying to isolate the voice that was smothering him. But it was hard to keep the voice at bay, not when he had proven to be the weak one of them. He knew he was in control just because he had a strong will, but at any moment of weakness, he would be gone. _"Please Phoenix…leave me alone. You've been at bay for the last years, not bothering me…why start now?"_

"_Because I want freedom." _said the voice of his evil counterpart with a malicious tone.

Takeru clenched his teeth so much that his jaw started to hurt. His fingernails were digging into his skin as he was trying to keep composure. However, he was being real evident.

"T.K….are you okay?" asked Davis preoccupied as he saw his friend in that strange episode.

Patamon and Veemon were staring at him as well; Takeru's partner specially had a worried look on his eyes. Patamon couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with his friend, but he was sure it had to do with the nightmares and night terrors Takeru's been having in the past couple of months.

Takeru opened his eyes and saw his friends stare at him. He kicked himself from having such a reaction, and tried to regain his cool as quickly as he could. He looked at Davis with a false smile, then Patamon, and then Veemon. However, his smile looked much more like a grimace. "Sorry guys, my stomach aches a little…"

"If you say so." said Davis, not convinced at all. He knew something was wrong, but trying to get anything out of Takeru was really hard. He used to feel insulted that his blond friend didn't trust him, but now he couldn't help but wonder what was eating him. He knew Takeru didn't like to bother anyone else with his problems, but it did worry him. Silence could be deadly. "Let's go…"

The blond boy nodded. "Let's go."

Patamon, on the other hand, knew that he had so do something if he wanted to help his partner. He knew that Takeru was being slowly eaten from the inside out by the nightmares. But having daytime problems was something new and worrying. He wasn't fooled, not in the slightest. He was going to help his partner as much as he could, he needed to.

* * *

Class was boring.

He hated Algebra, he had always hated math. Takeru was much more of the artistic type. He aimed to become a writer; he loved writing stories and creating. He loved being an imagineer. Imagineering meant imagine and engineer. Let his imagination soar and engineer back down to Earth. He surely didn't need math to do that, unless he was writing a scene that specifically needed numbers. _As if I would write that…_

He was glad he had classes with Kari and Davis, otherwise he would feel alone. Patamon and Veemon stayed out with Gatomon, the three digimon were probably exploring the school and creating mayhem, enjoying themselves. He wished he could be with them, having a good time.

He looked at Davis, who was snoring in his seat. He smirked a little, knowing his friend would need help later on. Then he looked at Kari, his other best friend, who had her attention focused on the board, learning quickly how to solve the algebraic problems that were being thrown at them. He knew she was being the same goody two shoes like always.

"_You should make her yours already, you know…rape her." _said the voice of Phoenix inside his mind.

Takeru clenched his teeth again, and closed his eyes, pressing his fingers against his pencil. He even clenched his toes inside his shoes. He hated when Phoenix made several disturbing comments inside his mind, it made him feel scared. His counterpart was clearly not a good person, despite the fact that he had been his childhood best friend. _"Phoenix…leave me alone."_

"_Not until you let me out." _said his dark counterpart with a snicker. _"That way I can have some fun, I deserve it…don't you think?"_

"Shut up!" shouted Takeru out-loud, making the teacher look startled at him, and his classmates stared at him as if he was a madman.

Takeru realized what he had done and blushed deeply, getting red as a tomato. H ecould believe he had actually spoken out; he had never lost his cool so easily under Phoenix's harassment. He wanted to escape. He wanted to dig a hole and bury himself alive. He was so mortified.

"I'm sorry, professor!" exclaimed the blond boy, deeply embarrassed and grabbed his stuff, and without permission, he left the classroom.

The last thing he saw was everybody stare at him while whispering accusing words.

However, not everybody was gossiping about him. His friends Davis and Kari glanced at each other before looking at him leaving the classroom.

_This is certainly not a good day. _

* * *

Takeru kept walking through the halls, looking down, trying to forget what he had done in class. He couldn't help but shiver at the thought of losing his composure so easily. He wanted desperately to find a way to get his second personality out of his head. He longed to be normal, not a freak or a lunatic. _I'm insane. That's what I am…an insane poor teenager._

"_Not insane…powerful…if you learn to use that power of course." _said Phoenix inside his head, and Takeru wanted so hard to cry. But he had to stand his ground; it would not be nice if he crumbled down on his first day of high school.

"Shut up, Phoenix!" said Takeru again, under his breath, so nobody would hear him talking to himself. He didn't want to be branded a freak, not now. All he wanted was to feel like a normal boy would feel on his first day of high school.

"T.K.!" exclaimed a female voice that was behind him.

Takeru snapped out of his trance and looked back, exalted, staring at Hikari Kamiya, his best friend after Patamon. Kari was wearing the school uniform, like him, but she looked exceptionally pretty. She had let her hair longer, and now she was a beautiful adolescent. Not a child anymore, a grown up person...like him. She had been his best friend since their first journey to the Digital World, their bond was unbreakable. And he felt really lucky to have her, he was sure he was falling in love with her. She was a wonderful person, and he envied her ability to light the lives of everybody she touched.

Kari, however, was wearing a frown on her face right now. "What was that?"

"Nothing." said Takeru, trying to remain calm, trying to forget what he had done in class. "I was just tired…I was sleepy and I wanted the professor to shut up. Nothing more attractive than a bad boy, right? Some rebellion is not bad for the mind."

"Nice try, but I know you." Said Kari worriedly as she stared at her friend with a worried look. "Something is really wrong with you and you're not telling us. Remember what we have learned, keeping our problems to ourselves is not good…like what happened to me in the Dark Ocean. Is that it? What are you hiding?"

Takeru gulped, feeling a knot on his throat. "Kari, I'm…I've been having nightmare lately, about a digimon that I've never seen. I think something bad is going to happen."

Kari nodded, understanding what her best friend was saying. She too had been having nightmare regarding a digimon she's never seen. "I know…I have that feeling too. But we have to stand united, not lose our heads. Ok?"

"Ok." Replied Takeru, feeling worried that Kari was having nightmares as well. That meant that those premonitions he's been having were true. Something bad was going to happen, something serious that would involve them all. But he had the feeling he would have a special role in that forthcoming future. "What are your nightmares about?"

"A barren city, and then the mysterious digimon taking control over Odaiba. Then I wake up startled. It hasn't been that bad, but it's not a dream you'd like to have repeatedly." said Kari, looking down, remembering the dream.

Takeru winced. _That's not exactly what my dream is focused on. Something is definitely wrong with me._

"There's something else, isn't it?" asked Kari as she looked at him with a worried look. "You don't have an outburst in class just for a dream."

"No, I'm fine." said the blond boy, looking away. He wasn't ready to tell her about Phoenix. He was afraid of her reaction, he was afraid he would be treated differently. But at the same time he wanted desperately to come clean about his double personality. "Everything is fine."

Kari gave him a look, knowing he was lying. But she had to handle things smoothly; she knew Takeru could be real sensitive when things affected him deeply. "If you say so."

"Let's go, I want to try out for the basketball team." said Takeru with a false smile. "Let's find Patamon, Veemon, Gatomon and Hawkmon soon, before they trash the school."

* * *

The basketball tryouts were crowded.

Every student was trying to get into the team, so the coach had asked for a match between the most promising candidates so they could prove their abilities. Takeru was, of course, on one of the teams, showing of his moves and jumps with ease. He was outmatching every other player that tried to take the ball from him.

The blonde teenager felt completely relaxed as he moved the ball and dodged his opponents. He was sweating already, but he didn't mind at all. After the awkward episode in class, all he wanted to do was forget about what had happened an hour ago. All he wanted to do was play and get into the team, forgetting all his worries and burdens.

But it was not easy; he could feel his darker counterpart bother him from the inside of his mind.

"Come on T.K., show them!" exclaimed Davis from this seat as he watched his friend score another basket.

Davis, Kari, Veemon and Patamon were joined by their friends Yolei, Gatomon and Hawkmon. Yolei was the oldest member of the "new DigiDestined", and was a year ahead of Kari, Davis and Takeru. Hawkmon was her partner, and Gatomon was Kari's partner. All of them were there, supporting their friend as he aced over the others.

The match continued. Takeru felt a bit more relaxed as he scored another basket. _I'm doing good._

Suddenly, one of the opponents tried to reach the ball at the same time as him, and ended up hitting him. They both clashed and fell to the floor with a loud thump. The pain he felt on his elbow, the place where he was hit, was nothing compared to the emotional turmoil that was unleashed within him.

The coach blew his whistle.

As the other boy stood up, he extended his hand to Takeru to help him up. "Sorry, are you ok?"

"_He's not sorry. He wanted to hit you purposely, because you were doing so well. He wanted to make you look bad." _said the voice of Phoenix as if he was whispering on Takeru's ear. He wanted to manipulate him into acting out, like in class. The dark counterpart enjoyed to see the suffering of others.

"_Shut up, Phoenix." _said Takeru inside his mind, trying to isolate the voice of his dark side. He was starting to feel desperate again, because he was losing himself again. _"I won't let you manipulate me. It was an accident, just that."_

Phoenix snickered in his mental prison. _"Time to play a little with your emotions."_

Then, Takeru felt a rush of anger running through his body. Somehow, Phoenix had accessed his limbic system (the one that controlled emotions), and was toying with it. He was sending pangs of rage on his body. He couldn't control himself, he was on overdrive. He was losing himself, this time by the means of emotional control.

Takeru stood up and violently pushed the other boy. "You're not sorry, you did it on purpose!"

"Takaishi! I will not stand for such foul play on my gym!" exclaimed the coach warningly as he watched the blond boy act so violently.

Takeru looked at the coach with a fire in his eyes that was hard to contain. "Fuck off!"

Everybody stared in surprise and exaltation as the blonde boy ran towards his backpack and grabbed it, leaving the gym without saying anything else. Everybody was dumbstruck; they had never seen a student act so disrespectfully to an authoritarian figure like a teacher or coach.

"Takaishi, come back and apologize before I send you to the Principal's Office!" exclaimed the coach once he got over the surprise, but Takeru just kept walking.

"T.K., wait up!" exclaimed Patamon as he started flying towards his partner, who did not stop even when he was asked to.

Kari, Davis, Yolei, Gatomon, Veemon and Hawkmon looked at each other with concern in each one of their eyes. They had no idea what had just happened. Takeru was always the nice boy, the good boy, the one that always respected everybody and acted so selflessly in order to help others. Takeru was just an angel; he was the perfect example of a sensitive, caring boy.

He was not the one that just reacted like that.

"Guys…what did just happen?" asked Yolei, concerned.

Kari and Davis looked at each other, puzzled. The brunette looked at the exit of the gym and wondered what to do. "T.K….what is eating you?"


	4. A Brother's Hand

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FRIEND GRX3m0m! This is a small present for you! Sorry I didn't update sooner guys, but I'm translating my book to English so it has me pretty busy. I'll try to update at least once a week, maybe twice, but I don't make promises. Anyway, enjoy this short but cute chapter!  
**

* * *

**IV.- A Brother's Hand**

Yamato "Matt" Ishida was practicing his guitar skills, trying to get a song out. He had been working on it for a while, trying to get the right cords. But he had been messing the song up for days now, and he couldn't help it. He had that itching feeling that something was going on and that wouldn't let him concentrate. He wasn't one to focus on hunches, he rarely had them, but right now he had an intuition that something was up.

He stopped playing.

"Why did you stop? You were doing really good." said Gabumon as he watched his partner play the beautiful instrument.

"Yeah." Said Taichi "Tai" Kamiya, his best friend and brother in arms, as he looked through the fridge for a can of coke. "Carry on Matty, it was really good what you were playing."

Both friends were staying at their apartment with their partners. Just a couple of months ago, Matt and Tai had decided to move out of their parents' homes and start living on their own. They agreed to live together as they continued with college, then they would carry on with their lives.

They enjoyed living together, especially because they were the closest thing there were. Closer than brothers. Their past trials have served them well, making them become like twins despite the fact that they were completely different in every other aspect that didn't involve "saving the world". They were the bearers of Friendship and Courage. They lived their lives watching out for each other. Their friendship was unmatched, and they would not let it crumble down before anything.

Matt sighed. "I know, but I just don't feel comfortable with the song. It's just not sounding as it is supposed to sound!"

"Well, then practice more." said Tai with a smile as he looked at his blond friend with a smile. "You can only get better after…how many attempts have you done to get it right?"

"24" said Matt with an annoyed grunt.

Agumon was watching television, and looked back to see the blond young adult with a smile. "Well then, try harder!"

The blonde teenager was about to answer when the phone started ringing. He moaned, ready to throw the guitar and exclaim that he had to concentrate in order to get the song right.

Tai smirked as he saw his friend's frustration. "I'll get it."

The brunette boy walked towards the phone and answered with a smile on his face. "Moshi, moshi! Oh, hi little sister!"

Minutes passed without the brunette saying anything, just heard his younger sister talk.

As the brunette talked to his sister, Tai's face began changing from relaxed and easygoing to one that meant business. He was turning deadly serious. Matt began thinking of the chords he had to ace, however, when he noticed how serious Tai's tone turned, he stopped.

"Ok, right. Don't worry, relax, we'll take it from here. Just rest, ok, little sister?" said Tai with a comforting tone as he tried to sound as mature as he could. "Thanks for telling me, we'll take care of him."

Tai put the phone down and looked thoughtful.

Matt, Gabumon and Agumon stared at him with a worried look in each of their eyes. They all turned to Tai, who was looking as if he had received really bad news. They hate that look, for someone so easygoing like Tai, being deadly serious just meant that something was really off.

"Well, speak." Said Matt, having a feeling that whatever was eating Tai up was something that was going to involve him as well. "What did Kari said? Is everything all right?"

Tai shook his head and looked at his brunette friend. "Put something on, we're going to find your brother."

As soon as he heard the word 'brother', Matt reacted and put the guitar down, standing up. "What about Takeru?"

The brunette leader of the 'old DigiDestined' looked at the boy with a serious look. "Seems your brother has not been himself lately. Come on, we've got to find him; Kari is really worried about him. And I am too. I'll fill you in with the details on the way. The important thing now is to find him."

Matt's 'worrying scale' reached its peak. Hearing that his brother was in some kind of trouble always sent a chill down his spine. He loved his brother deeply, more than anything in the world, and hearing news that his beloved little brother was not acting like himself only meant something: There was something wrong with him. He had to find him, and soon.

"Any idea where to look?" asked Tai, hoping that Matt had an idea of where the younger blond was.

Matt nodded. "Actually I do. There's this place where he uses to go when he's upset or something. Let's go."

"We'll go!" said Agumon as he stood up from the couch.

"Nope! Matt and I can handle this. You guys stay here in case T.K. steps by!" said Tai as he put his blue jacket on quickly.

"Fine." Said both digimon in unison as they looked down, discouraged.

Matt looked at his partner with a quick glance. "Gabumon, call me to my cell phone if my brother calls or comes, ok?"

He didn't wait for an answer; he just left the apartment alongside Tai, who rushed after him.

* * *

Takeru walked through the sidewalk near the bay, where he had gone after his outburst at class. He still couldn't believe he would go so far as of to actually insult the coach. He knew his academic reputation was going down the drain, everybody probably thought he as a jerk now. He actually told the coach to 'fuck off' and shut up one of his teachers.

He spent hours at the bay, just staring at the horizon, waiting for some angel to come and tell him everything would be alright.

The boy felt so lowly of himself, he was being haunted by the dreams and by Phoenix, who was making his life miserable. _"Why are you doing this to me? We used to be friends. You used to be my companion in the lonely nights of my parents divorce."_

"_Because I know you want to get rid of me. And I'll do what I can to stop you from doing that."_ Replied Phoenix inside his mind, sounding as menacing as before.

Takeru sat by the bay and placed his hands over his ears, trying to block the voice. But it was useless. Phoenix was inside his mind, like a parasite, invading his intimate thoughts and plaguing his souls as if he was a demon possessing a mortal. He wanted it to stop; he wanted it to go back when he was a normal teenager.

But analyzing it, he really never was a normal teenager.

"Why can't I be at peace?" asked Takeru to the air.

Suddenly, he heard steps and looked back. The steps were getting closer at him. He heard them approach him, and he wondered who it was. _Maybe it's a burglar, maybe he wants to mug me and kill me in the process. That'd be nice. I would be at peace at last._

He was worried now; he was starting to have a deathwish.

"Why can't you be in peace, that's a good question." Said a voice that approached him, and Takeru realized who it was. "Maybe if you told us you'd be at peace."

Matt and Tai had appeared with smiles on their faces, smiles that they hoped were enough to comfort the young teenager. However, they were really worried on the inside. But they had to be strong for the sake of their little brother. Because Takeru was Matt's beloved little sibling and a brother to Tai as well.

Takeru looked down, and then evaded their gaze. "I hate how you know me so well."

"I'm your brother, of course I know you." Said Matt with a serious tone of voice as he sat down next to his brother.

Tai next by the other side of Takeru, looking at the young teenager with a smile that meant sympathy. "Come on, T.K. What's up? Some little bird has told me that you didn't had a good day at school. Maybe you could use the relief of talking about it."

"You wouldn't understand guys." Said Takeru as he folded his legs and hugged them. "I have problems that none of you could ever hope to understand."

"Try us." They both said in unison.

Takeru shook his head, feeling Phoenix taking control of his emotions again. They dark counterpart was setting up the anger again, but the real boy wouldn't lose control again. Not this time. He wasn't about to snap at his brothers. They were there to help him, not harm him.

However, they wouldn't understand.

"_You'll pay for it if you tell them." _Warned Phoenix inside his mind, sounding angry that his emotional manipulation wasn't having the desired result.

"You're acting up in class, having nightmares…I think there are some issues you need to discuss," added Tai as he put an arm around Takeru, lovingly.

Takeru smiled lightly. "Kari didn't spare a detail, right?"

"Not a single one," said Tai with a faint smile on his face.

"Let's start with the dreams," said Matt as he placed a hand on his little brother's shoulder and looked at him with compassion. "What are they about?"

The younger blond boy sighed, knowing he had to come clean. "A bad digimon conquers the world but…this time, I think I'm helping him…he keeps calling me 'Death' and tells me that I've killed everyone I've loved. I have changed, I don't look like myself, and then he tries to kill me. Matt…Tai…I'm afraid. Very afraid. I think something really bad is going to happen and I'll be responsible."

Both older boys looked at each other, in alarm. Tai looked at him with a comforting half hug. "Don't worry buddy, whatever happens…we'll have our eyes open. We have to stick together. That's how we've pulled through in the past and that's how we'll pull through in the future."

However, Matt was still worried. "There's more…isn't it?"

Takeru inhaled deeply. "Guys, I have to tell you my deepest secret. It's something I've been hiding for years…something that will change your perception of me. You'll call me insane. You may think I'm mad, but it's true."

Matt didn't hesitate to kiss him in the forehead. "I'll be by your side, otouto. No matter what. I love you."

"Same with me." Said Tai, ruffling his hair affectionately. "We're bond together, little buddy."

Takeru smiled a little bit.

"_Don't you dare." _Warned Phoenix with a tone of danger.

And despite all the depression Takeru felt, and all the fear, he decided to come clean about his second personality. And so he did, not holding back, telling them every detail. He wouldn't be hold back, not if he could receive help. He needed to get that demon out of his head, so he kept on talking. He would not cry. Not yet.


	5. A New Dawn For Evil

**Ok guys, this is a bit short but I actually like how it turned out. Sorry I haven't updated that often, but this work with my novel is taking most of my time. Translating is hard! But don't worry, I promise, at least one chapter per week!**

**Enjoy**

* * *

**V.- A New Dawn For Evil**

From the top of the mountain they were watching.

They had been waiting for a long time, for the moment they would be able to strike. How many years have passed since their last public appearance? Many, many years. Their brothers always treated them like bastards, as if they didn't have the right to exist. Well, now their brothers were gone, now only the two of them remained.

Well, and their omnipotent older brother still existed as ell, but _he _was another story.

Crusadermon looked around, to the beautiful Digital World, and wondered how things have gone so badly for her kind. She was, after all, one of the two remaining Dark Masters. Those who had been in kidding despite their brothers' feeble attempt to conquer the Digital World.

_Well, now we're here to make things right._

"We've waited long enough," said Dynasmon, his white armored brother, who stared at the sunset on top of the mountain. "This Digital World will know what real power is. Our brothers, the other four Dark Masters, failed. But we will not. Anyhow, we'll make this world ours."

"And the real world as well." Said Crusadermon, looking at her rose and throwing it to the air. "The DigiDestined believe they have defeated all evil there is. No more Apocalymon, no more Myotismon, no more tyranny. Well, our father might be gone but we're stronger now…we'll defeat them."

Many years have passed since their last battle, but they had been training and now, they felt they were powerful enough to face the DigiDestined. It was all a matter of destroying them, and then both worlds would be theirs. They had ambition…they had seen a world they could conquer. They needed to control the Digital World, it was in their nature.

They were born to that Destiny.

* * *

Gennai was kneeling before Azulongmon.

The handsome man, restored to youth thanks to the efforts of the DigiDestined, looked at the powerful Sovereign with respect and with worry in his eyes. He had hoped that this day wouldn't come. He had hoped that all the Dark Masters were gone, but the replicas were still at large. He hadn't had the guts to tell the DigiDestined about them, but he knew that the time was drawing near.

Azulongmon, a blue dragon who controlled more than _one _Digital World, looked at his herald with worried eyes as well. "They're near, I hear them."

"We feared that this day would come," said Gennai with an uneasy look on his eyes. "We thought they were gone, but Crusadermon and Dynasmon, the replicas of the Royal Knights, are back. We should tell the kids…they have to get ready. A new battle is approaching, one that will once again bring terror to the Digital World."

Azulongmon nodded. "Let's just hope this battle stays local and doesn't extend to other worlds. Gennai, I want those Dark Masters destroyed before they cause any real destruction."

Gennai stood up and sighed. It was going to be a long week.

* * *

Matt was sitting on the couch, thinking deeply.

He had practically dragged his brother from the bay to his apartment, that was all he could do. Finally, after arriving to the apartment and calling Kari, Patamon and Natsuko (Matt's and Takeru's mother), letting them know that Takeru was alright, Matt had practically forced his brother to rest in his bed. It was the only thing that would let him be at peace.

Takeru needed to sleep; he had bags under his eyes, result of nights of not being able to sleep at all. Matt had generously given him his bed, saying he would sleep on the couch, and after arguing about it for a couple of minutes, the younger blond had agreed. He lay down on the bed and almost immediately he fell asleep.

Tai, who had stayed with the younger boy until he had fallen asleep like a parent guarding his child, closed the door of Matt's room and walked towards the older blond, who had his gaze lost on infinity. The former leader of the DigiDestined sat down next to his best friend and looked at him worriedly.

"Are you alright, Matt?" asked Tai, concerned. He knew his best friend wasn't alright, but he had to ask nevertheless. Although breaking through Matt's cold exterior was hard sometimes, Tai had gotten used to the cold yet characteristic mood of Matt…sometimes. It was easy to penetrate Matt's mind once you get used to it.

Matt sighed. "Tai, I don't know what to do…what T.K. told us is…."

"Unbelievable, surprising, worrying…" said Tai as he cited all the ways Takeru had surprised them.

"Scary," replied Matt, with a worried tone of voice. "Tai… this isn't easy to digest…alternate personalities? Mate, that makes my brother almost insane. How do I deal with this?"

"The same way we always deal with stuff like this," said Tai with a decided look, with his gaze down. "We face this like friends, like a team. If T.K. needs help, we'll get it from him…if he needs support, we'll support him. We're not going to let him down, not now…he's been fighting himself for so long. Not anymore."

Matt smiled slightly. "Thanks mate…I'll never know how I lived so long without you."

Tai nodded. "Keep asking yourself that."

There was a moment of silence. Matt placed his hands over his face, trying to know what he was supposed to do now. He was scared for his brother, for his mental health. Takeru was clearly deeply conflicted with that mental strife and he didn't know how to deal with that. It all sounded too unreal. "How do I know this is some teenager scam? It's too farfetched…my brother, mentally unstable?"

"You know T.K., he can't lie like this. You saw his face while he told us about this…Phoenix. He is being honest," said Tai, though he too sounded skeptical. Yet, Takeru had never lied to them, never. Or at least, not a lie of that magnitude. "He needs help."

"Phoenix," said Matt, looking up. "Even the name sounds scary. Omnipotent. We have to get the devil out of Takeru. We don't know what this alternate personality can do to my brother. He's controlling his emotions now, but what if he takes over his body?"

Tai looked away. "Guess we'll have to get help before that happens."

"I'll call Joe tomorrow," said Matt with a convinced smile, knowing that he needed to act quickly before he lost his brother. "He must know many psychiatrists in his school. This is something we can't deal with. Surely we can blast evil digimon away, but we cannot treat a mentally unstable person. A professional psychiatrist has to deal with this."

"Sounds right," said Tai, glad that his friend had some ideas, because his mind was also blank on how to approach the subject matter. "We have to be very careful of who we let in on this. We have to tell Sora, and Joe…and Kari. But I'm not sure about the others. And your mother and father must be kept in the dark. The less people that knows, the better. I doubt T.K. want everybody know how bad he is."

Matt nodded. "You're right. I agree. We keep this to ourselves."

Suddenly, they heard a loud scream coming from the other room.

Matt and Tai looked at each other in fear while standing up, running towards Matt's room.

They opened the door and found Takeru crying, with his hands over his head, struggling to control himself. He had a stain of urine on his pants. And he was shaking uncontrollably. It was as if some kind of demon was trying to posses him, he nearly convulsed in the ground as if he was epileptic.

Matt stared terrified, so did Tai.

Phoenix had taken over.

Phoenix raised his head and looked at his brother and surrogate brother. He had a wicked smirk on his face, as if he was a psychotic man about to murder someone. "You do something to stop me and I'll make sure Takeru lives in hell for the rest of his life. You cannot stop me. I'm here to stay."

Finally, Phoenix let go and Takeru went limp. The young teenager opened his eyes and saw scared at his surroundings. He was scared, he had lost control for the second time, this time he had actually let Phoenix control him. He was terrified and wanted to cry.

So he did.

Matt, still in shock, walked towards his brother and wrapped his arms around his younger sibling. Matt couldn't help it and his cold exterior melted, starting to cry alongside his brother. However, despite the tears, he had to be strong for his brother. He had to show him that he had the strength to support him. He would not let Takeru fall, and if he fell, Matt would go down with him.

Takeru sobbed.

Matt patted his back while holding him right. "It'll be okay, otouto. Shh…"

Tai knelt aside the brothers and joined them in an embrace, giving his courage and strength to his surrogate little brother. "Don't worry, T.K….we'll get the devil out of you. That monster will not torment you if we're here."

The younger blonde just sobbed.


	6. Conversations With My Therapist

**S.O.R.R.Y! Guys, I know you've been waiting for this for a week, and I admit it..this isn't the best piece of work but I like it. You see...I would have updated sooner if it wasn't for the new book idea that came to me and I started working on. So...I can't promise I will update everyday, but I'll do my best!**

* * *

**VI.- Conversations With My Therapist**

Takeru was nervous.

He was sitting on a sofa in front of a psychiatrist. His new doctor was a middle aged man with black hair, black eyes and pale skin, a little bit overweight.

The tide had turned; his friends and brother had insisted that he saw a doctor as soon as possible, so there he was, seeing a therapist for the first time. He had let Phoenix get control of him. He had let the darkness within take the worst of him and it consumed him from the inside out, transforming him into a weak individual in facing an upcoming storm.

He looked down, not knowing what to say. He felt utterly, completely lost. Everything was happening so fast that he did not know how to proceed. Last week he had been a teenager preparing himself to struggle with the typical high school drama, but now things have changed. He had struggled with his alter-ego for so long that he couldn't control him anymore.

Takeru was tired and weak, and wanted desperately to fix his mind, he wanted so bad to be a normal person with normal problems. He was tired of dealing with a psychotic alternate personality. It was a burden no one should carry.

He just hoped the psychiatric therapy was enough to control that monster that lived within him.

"So, Takeru…may I call you T.K.? I heard your brother calling you that way before coming in," said the doctor as he looked at his patient with a smile. Well, what he hoped could be considered a comforting smile.

Takeru sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

There was silence that lasted for a minute or so. Takeru didn't know how to approach the doctor and he as starting to feel the pressure of Phoenix, his alter-ego was trying to break free. However, the young teenager wasn't going to let himself lose the battle. He was going to fight his dark side with all his strength, even if he had to be admitted into a madhouse for that.

He started to twitch his eyes, and his hands started to tremble as he put them over his face, as if trying to hide a hideous face.

The doctor stood up and placed a hand over his patient's left hand. "Relax; there is nothing here that will hurt you. I know it is hard, but you have to tell me about your demons if we want to stop them from destroying you. Just relax, T.K…we'll fix you really soon."

Takeru felt a splitting headache start to pound him on the head; he was starting to lose his battle. However, he remembered his friends and remembered that he had to fight his demons for them. His friends and family were hoping he would get better soon. He couldn't just let himself lose the battle. "I…I don't know if I can…"

"Try to close your eyes," said the doctor as he stepped back, trying to give his patient space. "Breathe deeply and remember, this place is safe. No one can hurt you here."

_"__I can," _said the voice of Phoenix, but Takeru did what he could to control his dark side, to keep him at bay.

Takeru won the battle.

After a few seconds of breathing heavily, the blond boy opened his eyes and found himself sweating with his heart racing. The doctor smiled at him, trying to be comforting. "It's ok, you'll be alright."

"I'm not so sure about that," said Takeru as he calmed down. "He's so much stronger than I am…I can contain him but I cannot control him. He's a cancer that's destroying me. Do you think we can defeat him?"

The doctor nodded. "I'm sure we can. We just need to medicate you and have psychotherapy together. With those two efforts combined, you will be alright. The disorder you have is really strange but I have dealt with it before. Soon, you will be ok. It will take a while but you'll find yourself happy again."

"Thanks," said Takeru honestly, with a tiny but truthful voice. "For a long time I've been wondering how to stop Phoenix from taking over. It's…good to know that I'm going to get help. Even if I have to be branded a lunatic and be on pills."

"You're not a lunatic," said the doctor with s serious look. "You're just a divided soul. I spoke to your brother before the sessions started. He told me your parents divorced when you were very little…and then he told me that you were one of the children that saved the world years ago. So much stress destroyed your mind, dividing it into two. It was a defense mechanism. But I believe that with real professional help, we can fuse together those divided parts. Soon Phoenix will be gone and you will be free."

Takeru smiled faintly, even though he could feel Phoenix starting to manipulate his feelings…but he wouldn't have it. He would fight until the very end.

"So, since when have you felt Phoenix inside your head?" asked the psychiatrist as he looked at his patient with a professional look, taking notes.

Takeru looked down and bit his lip. "I don't know. I guess since my parents split up. I was feeling very lonely…even with my brother by my side. So I guess I created a 'friend' to confide with. I never knew that my new friend would become my worst enemy."

* * *

Matt was biting his nails. He was worried.

He was out of the doctor's office, waiting for the session to end. He was being accompanied by Tai, Kari, Sora (his redhead girlfriend), Patamon and Gatomon. They were all waiting for the moment the doors would open and Takeru would exit with what they hoped was a comforted look.

"Gee Matt, relax, you're eating up your fingers," said Tai as he looked at his best friend with a comforting look. "He'll be alright; Joe told us this doctor was one of the greatest psychiatrists in Odaiba. Surely T.K. is having a hard time but we must remain calm if we want him to be whole. If we lose our heads, he will most likely lose his' as well."

"Tai's right," said Sora as she rubbed his boyfriend's back. Her look was one of worry but at the same time she tried to stay serene. "He'll be alright, Matt…just relax."

Matt grunted. "I can't relax when my brother is being mentally tormented."

Kari nodded, understanding that her friend had every reason to be altered. "I understand Matt. T.K. is being haunted by a second psychotic personality…as much as I want to lie still and think that everything will be alright, I'm starting to think we're facing a new enemy."

"And this one is even more threatening, because it is our friend," said Gatomon, knowing the extent of the danger this duel personality represented. "This monster has to be eradicated before he destroys T.K. and us along with it."

Patamon just looked to the door with watery eyes. "Oh, T.K…."

Then the door opened.

Everybody looked up and saw Takeru with a hopeless look on his face; however, he looked more at peace than before. By his side was the doctor, who had a serious expression. Everybody waited for a commentary or something; the silence that had taken control of the waiting room had turned into a smothering force.

"T.K.!" exclaimed Patamon and rushed to the arms of his partner and best friend.

The blond teenager hugged his small orange friend tightly. "Oh, Pata…"

Matt walked to them and placed an arm around his brother protectively, half-hugging him. He was trying to be as supportive as he could, but it was out of the realm of his possibilities to help his mentally conflicted brother.

"Doctor?" asked Tai and looked at the professional therapist with an expectant look.

The doctor handed Tai a small flask with medicine. He looked at the brunette with a serious look. "He has to take two of these pills every night. He will feel very, very drowsy for the rest of the day, for a while…but it is important that he takes them. It will keep his brain stable and his second personality at bay."

"We'll all see that he gets through the treatment, doctor," said Sora, and they all nodded.

Kari walked towards her human best friend and kissed him in the cheek. "Don't worry, T.K…everything will be alright."


	7. Stormy Skies

**There are no words to decribe how sorry I am that I didn't update sooner! Sorry guys! It's just that I've had tons of projects and I only have one brain and two arms! But I will try to post regularily. As always, best for you all!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**VII. - Stormy Skies**

Takeru was feeling nauseated. He had been taking medicines for a week and so far, he's been feeling as if someone had hit him with a baseball bat. He had felt numb, unable to feel anything with his heart. The doctor said it would be normal, and that he would get accustomed to that. The most important thing was to keep Phoenix at bay, and so far the alter-ego hadn't done anything to provoke the boy.

But the nightmares were still there, and Takeru was starting to believe those dreams were more than just dreams and that those nightmares weren't Phoenix's doing. He just hoped they would fade away with time, and that the drugs were able to tame those bad visions he had.

"Good morning, starshine!" exclaimed his older brother, Matt, as he entered his room with breakfast. "I made you French toast, perfect way to start a new day, huh?"

Takeru grimaced. "I'm not that hungry, brother. I just want to sleep forever."

Matt frowned. "You need to eat and go out. You have to make your life as you normally should. We will all help you; we haven't seen Phoenix act up in a week. That's a good sign."

"I guess so," said Takeru weakly. "But I don't feel like doing anything."

Patamon jumped in. "T.K, you should do as Matt says, after all. You can get used to living your life if you try."

Takeru, however, was skeptical. He looked at his digimon partner and then at his brother. He knew it would be nice if he could move forward, but it was hard. He hated being so down, feeling so drugged that it was like having lost his soul. _If only they knew what it is to deal with a dark side and drugs that destroy my inner light._

Matt walked up to him. He grabbed his arm. "Come one, we're going out and I'm not taking a "no" for an answer. I'll do you good, little brother."

Sighing, Takeru nodded and stood up. "Fine, I'll go change. Or do you want me to go out in my pajamas?"

The young man laughed. "I'll be waiting in the living room. Come on, Patamon, let's go. We don't want to stop the beautification of my little brother."

Patamon looked at his partner for a moment before nodding. "We'll be waiting."

Takeru nodded and walked towards the bathroom as they left the room.

He walked in and stared at himself in the mirror. Despite being drugged, he didn't have that bad of a look. Takeru had always been extremely handsome, so even in his bad state he didn't look that damaged. His blond hair was messy and his skin was paler than usual, but despite that, he had killer looks.

He gazed at himself in the mirror, knowing that deep within his mind there was a monster, a creature lurking inside of him. He sighed; worried that one day the medicines wouldn't be enough to tame the beast that dwelled inside of him.

The young man banged his head against the mirror, closing his eyes. He felt so smothered; he knew there was a darkness inside him that would take a lot to be excised. But he had to carry on and hope that the medicines were enough to tame the beast. He didn't want to be drugged the whole time, but he had to do what the psychiatrist had said. He had to move on.

Without thinking further, he started to undress. He would gain nothing by pondering about his situation. He had to live with the hope that he would be better as time passed by. Hope, it was his Crest and he had to make sure it still shone. He needed to keep moving forward.

He put on some jeans and a white T-Shirt. He wasn't in the mood to impose fashion, unlike what Mimi would say.

Finally, he opened the faucet and started to wash his face.

_"__You won't get rid of me that easily," _said the voice of Phoenix inside his mind.

He closed his eyes, and made a face. _Please, let me go. I want to live a normal life, please leave me alone. I swear I'll do anything but stop hurting me and my friends._

There was no reply.

* * *

Natsuko Takaishi looked at her older son with a faint smile, yet with a look that said that nothing was right. She had been briefed about the situation with her younger son, Takeru, and so far she hadn't taken the news well. Wasn't it enough that they had to go save the world every fifteen minutes? Now they had to take care of one of their own, and that one was her son.

It broke her heart.

"How is he?" asked Natsuko to Matt as she approached him with one sad look. She hadn't spoken to Takeru on the whole day; she had been busy with her work as a journalist. The true reason behind her silence towards her son was, however, that she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable.

Matt seemed to understand him better, and was doing an excellent job acting as a brother and parent.

She knew her son needed her, but she didn't know how so.

"He's fine, a little bit drowsy because of the medicine. But he's a strong boy, he can take it," said Matt with a smile as he walked towards his mother. "Don't worry about him, mom, he'll be fine. We'll take care of him."

Natsuko sighed. "I just wish I was the one who could take care of him. I feel like a lousy parent."

"You're not a lousy parent, don't be like that," said Matt and touched his mother's hands. "You're doing a great job, he'll be fine. I'll take care of him, as always."

The blond woman smiled and touched her son's cheek. "You've grown up to be a fine young man, Yamato. I'm glad you're so caring and protective on your brother."

Matt nodded and looked down. "Someone has to be there for him."

Patamon then smiled as he looked at them. "We're all there for him."

* * *

They day had gone smoothly so far.

Takeru met with his friends, the younger gang, and their partners. They were at the park, having a nice chat and having Davis and Veemon play soccer against Ken and Wormmon, who had trained a lot so he didn't have that much trouble running with the ball. Even with his worm complexion.

All of them had been briefed about Takeru's current condition, and they were all more than supportive. However, sometimes they were akward towards him. Not in a mean way, they just didn't know how to deal with that. They had dealt with the most powerful forces of the Universe, but this was new.

Takeru sighed, looking at his friends dance with the ball.

"How are you?" whispered Kari to his ear as she watched Yolei and Hawkmon scream to Ken as if they were his personal team of cheerleaders. Cody and Armadillomon were more reserved, watching them play with smiles on their faces.

Takeru wished he could smiles as well.

"I'm…sleepy…" said Takeru as he yawned, he knew she knew. That he wasn't ok, that being drugged wasn't something nice, that being possessed by a monster was no sweet ride. He knew she knew he was being smothered.

Kari patted his shoulder and half hugged him, trying to be discreet in front of the others for no apparent reason. "You know, if you feel uncomfortable…just tell us and we can go to another place."

"I wish I could go to another time, when Phoenix wasn't around," said Takeru with a defeated tone of voice.

Kari sighed knowing full well her best friend wasn't feeling good.

Then, Yolei's cell phone started to ring. She picked up. "Yes?"

There was a moment of silence, everyone just watching the football match as Yolei talked in the phone. "Oh come on Izzy, you can't be serious…ok, we'll be there as soon as we can."

"Something happened?" asked Gatomon as she saw the look of Yolei, it was one of those uncomfortable looks. "You look like you just received bad news."

"I did," said the purple haired girl. "Izzy said Gennai wants to speak to us. He's gathering ALL of us, and I don't think it's going to go smoothly."

Davis walked towards them. "Well, then let's go."

Takeru and Kari exchanged glances for a moment, unsure of what was going to happen. They were worried. The peace they had enjoyed for so long was slowly being disrupted by chaos, but mental and real.

They had no choice but to comply.


End file.
